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Trapping
By Bobbe - Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:23:05 GMT
Originally Posted at: FMATalk
====================
This is an old argument, prevalent on the web and in many heated discussions between various styles of Wing Chun, Kali, Jeet Kune Do, and God knows what else. Trapping is another abstract concept has been given many labels in an attempt to easily categorize it. These have included “Trapping is a range” “Trapping is a technique” “Trapping only works for Wing Chun” “You can’t use trapping against a weapon” “Trapping doesn’t work at all”.
Trapping has far too many faces for it to casually fall into any one category, it is a multi-functional tool with several parts that can be interchanged at will, or used simultaneously. A simple definition of trapping could be “The act of engaging your opponent’s weapon, empty hands, or both in such a manner as he is unable to deploy them for attack or defense.” However, there is quite a leap from the definitive to the applicative. In other words, you can talk about the finer points of technique all you want, actually pulling it off requires an adaptability that few people possess, or are even aware exists. There is an entire art of timing, sensitivity, body English, balance, position and footwork that must be mastered before you will be able to flow into trapping. There is also a dastardly element of trickery and deception you must understand well to make your trapping effective. Because mastery of these common elements is essential to fluidity in trapping, the art of trapping is an advanced skill.
Several martial arts in existence already have unique forms of trapping that are indicative of their respective styles, as well as countless variations for each. You should not get tied down into the biased, stylistic approach, “Silat trapping is better than Wing Chun trapping because…” There are individual principles in place, and good reasons why each style uses the approach that they do. Usually, the method will support the posture and stance of the style. The trick is to understand the drawbacks as well as the advantages to each one, as well as trapping theories that are entirely unique to yourself.
The point to understand is a trap is dynamic, and the objective will be different from trap to trap, person to opponent, depending on the current situation. Usually you are not trying to arrest your opponent’s energy completely, because that will often result in a force-against-force tug of war, complete with body tension and loss of flow. Rather, a trap will just hinder your opponent’s motion or defenses long enough to gain a purchase on the inside line for attack. However, this is still a narrow view of the art, trapping is used for much more than simply “limb incapacitation.” Trapping normally takes place at a medium to extreme close range, the further away you are from your opponent, the easier it is for him to escape. Traps serve to uproot and imbalance an opponent, they can mentally confuse him into making a beginner’s mistake in a fight, or augment your own entry into his defenses. A good trapper uses a high degree of sensitivity with relaxation, and flows with the energy of his opponent instead of against it. He realizes the opportunity that is presenting itself when the hands make contact, and will capitalize on it instead of opting for a push/shove match. He uses his traps to work around barriers in the window of combat, as opposed to trying to crash through the gate and climb over his opponent.
This heightened sensitivity allows for greater speeds of negation in combat. Instead of visually tracking the motions, you can feel them in an instant, and the seemingly faster reaction will be partially due to the projection of what your tactile messages are from your opponent.
We are born pre-programmed with an aversion to having our personal space invaded, and most martial arts cultivate the feeling even more, albeit usually it's an unconscious act. They usually don't come out and SAY "Stay at this range only", but drills are set at a standard range, use of elbows and knees are neglected, negation, redirection and entry skills aren't stressed over "block-punch-step back into a stance" kind of training. These people are the most susceptible to trapping, because their art never allows them to get close enough to actually use it, therefore they never train for the situation.
At the extreme close range many primitive survival instincts kick in, and people unfamiliar with this approach often succumb to panic, tensing up their extremities & doing anything they can to push the other guy OFF or AWAY from them. Their arms fly up to shield their face, they lean back & break the precious posture they have been programmed to maintain at all costs, attack initiative goes right out the window. For a fighter who can maintain mental equilibrium no matter how close the opponent is, he will be relaxed (as much as possible in a fight), focused, and in flow, and this will give him an advantage for trapping. In this scenario, the opponent usually can't even mount a passable defense let alone attack. This is the value trapping in combat. Trapping is the province of the live hand, and is an integral element of your ability to flow.
The primary goal of trapping is to clear a path for an attack. This point often gets lost in the sea of trapping styles and techniques. You must first objectify and understand what traps are. There are two basic methods of trapping:
1: Simple Traps
These are 1 and 2 beat-timing traps that are executed with simplistic strategy, and clear a path for attack on the third or fourth beat. This is the most desirable, since the object is to make the attack, NOT draw out the length of the trap. Simple traps are often overlooked because of their simplicity, they are not “flashy” enough, and are often neglected for more complex traps. This tactic is always a mistake, if the opening presents itself you should attack.
2: Complex Traps
These are traps that exist past the 2 beat range, and are best avoided. The longer you spend trying to trap the opponent, the closer you get to DEFENDING instead of ATTACKING. It’s easy to get lost in trying to get that perfect lockup you saw in class. Grapplers have this same syndrome, the unwillingness to let go of a failing lock or choke when the situation warrants it. Understand, I don’t mean abandon trapping altogether. However, you should be able to flow from trap to trap, as long as your focus is on penetrating the opponent’s defenses to attack. Trying to hang on for dear life to the “perfect trap” or jointlock is tunnel vision, and will get you clobbered. You must commit to a decision in a fight, but once you do, don’t commit to it so much that you lose the fluidity of negotiation if you have to change or even abandon things midway through. You may have formed a brilliant strategy, but don’t be so in love with it that you can’t bring yourself to alter it if the need arises. Fluidity is just as much mental as it is physical.
Trapping uses four methods for clearing a path to attack:
1: Negate the opponent’s attack
2: Arrest the opponent’s technique
3: Thread the opponent’s barrier
4: Deceive the opponent’s mind
1: Negate the opponent’s attack
This instance isn’t to say “Block the opponent’s attack”, the only requirement is to avoid being hit.
2: Arrest the opponent’s technique
An arrest is when the opponent’s arms, legs or both are trapped but his body momentum continues forward.
3: Thread the opponent’s barrier
A barrier is when the opponent has both hands up in a guard position and his arms provide a physical obstacle between you and him. Threading is the ability to insert a single arm in between your opponent’s to disrupt his defenses. This maneuver can also be done with the legs and feet.
4: Deceive the opponent’s mind
Trapping is deception as much as anything else. By virtue of good technique in trapping your opponent will be confused and tricked into committing to an unrecoverable mistake, which you can capitalize on.
After closing with an opponent trapping is a method to maintain an uncomfortable proximity to him, which can inspire a smaller version of the fear-reflex fight or flight syndrome. People who are in stressful situations tend to think in straight lines, the less skilled they are at combat-stress multi-tasking, the more likely they are to allow instinct and gut reaction to take control of their motor functions. If you prolong the trapping stage and simply control your opponent without ending the fight, you will often see his complex problem solving ability diminish, and can cause him to miss a counter or escape that is right in front of him if the situation didn’t make him tunnel-visioned. It’s easy to identify when your opponent has reached this linear, one-dimensional way of thinking, first and foremost he will grab at your hands in an attempt to stop the flow. Secondly, you will see parts (or all) of his body tense and freeze up. This will also affect his footwork, and he will only move in straight lines, usually backward. At this point, he’s done for. His reflexive response to combat stress has taken over his ability to remain calm and fluid during violent exchanges at close range.
This is mostly advanced stuff, but I hope it was worthwhile for those just starting in FMA as well.
Read More...
------------------------------------
FMATalk.com Post Bot - FMA Feed
By Bobbe - Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:23:05 GMT
Originally Posted at: FMATalk
====================
Does Trapping Actually Work?”
Trapping has far too many faces for it to casually fall into any one category, it is a multi-functional tool with several parts that can be interchanged at will, or used simultaneously. A simple definition of trapping could be “The act of engaging your opponent’s weapon, empty hands, or both in such a manner as he is unable to deploy them for attack or defense.” However, there is quite a leap from the definitive to the applicative. In other words, you can talk about the finer points of technique all you want, actually pulling it off requires an adaptability that few people possess, or are even aware exists. There is an entire art of timing, sensitivity, body English, balance, position and footwork that must be mastered before you will be able to flow into trapping. There is also a dastardly element of trickery and deception you must understand well to make your trapping effective. Because mastery of these common elements is essential to fluidity in trapping, the art of trapping is an advanced skill.
Several martial arts in existence already have unique forms of trapping that are indicative of their respective styles, as well as countless variations for each. You should not get tied down into the biased, stylistic approach, “Silat trapping is better than Wing Chun trapping because…” There are individual principles in place, and good reasons why each style uses the approach that they do. Usually, the method will support the posture and stance of the style. The trick is to understand the drawbacks as well as the advantages to each one, as well as trapping theories that are entirely unique to yourself.
The point to understand is a trap is dynamic, and the objective will be different from trap to trap, person to opponent, depending on the current situation. Usually you are not trying to arrest your opponent’s energy completely, because that will often result in a force-against-force tug of war, complete with body tension and loss of flow. Rather, a trap will just hinder your opponent’s motion or defenses long enough to gain a purchase on the inside line for attack. However, this is still a narrow view of the art, trapping is used for much more than simply “limb incapacitation.” Trapping normally takes place at a medium to extreme close range, the further away you are from your opponent, the easier it is for him to escape. Traps serve to uproot and imbalance an opponent, they can mentally confuse him into making a beginner’s mistake in a fight, or augment your own entry into his defenses. A good trapper uses a high degree of sensitivity with relaxation, and flows with the energy of his opponent instead of against it. He realizes the opportunity that is presenting itself when the hands make contact, and will capitalize on it instead of opting for a push/shove match. He uses his traps to work around barriers in the window of combat, as opposed to trying to crash through the gate and climb over his opponent.
This heightened sensitivity allows for greater speeds of negation in combat. Instead of visually tracking the motions, you can feel them in an instant, and the seemingly faster reaction will be partially due to the projection of what your tactile messages are from your opponent.
We are born pre-programmed with an aversion to having our personal space invaded, and most martial arts cultivate the feeling even more, albeit usually it's an unconscious act. They usually don't come out and SAY "Stay at this range only", but drills are set at a standard range, use of elbows and knees are neglected, negation, redirection and entry skills aren't stressed over "block-punch-step back into a stance" kind of training. These people are the most susceptible to trapping, because their art never allows them to get close enough to actually use it, therefore they never train for the situation.
At the extreme close range many primitive survival instincts kick in, and people unfamiliar with this approach often succumb to panic, tensing up their extremities & doing anything they can to push the other guy OFF or AWAY from them. Their arms fly up to shield their face, they lean back & break the precious posture they have been programmed to maintain at all costs, attack initiative goes right out the window. For a fighter who can maintain mental equilibrium no matter how close the opponent is, he will be relaxed (as much as possible in a fight), focused, and in flow, and this will give him an advantage for trapping. In this scenario, the opponent usually can't even mount a passable defense let alone attack. This is the value trapping in combat. Trapping is the province of the live hand, and is an integral element of your ability to flow.
The primary goal of trapping is to clear a path for an attack. This point often gets lost in the sea of trapping styles and techniques. You must first objectify and understand what traps are. There are two basic methods of trapping:
1: Simple Traps
These are 1 and 2 beat-timing traps that are executed with simplistic strategy, and clear a path for attack on the third or fourth beat. This is the most desirable, since the object is to make the attack, NOT draw out the length of the trap. Simple traps are often overlooked because of their simplicity, they are not “flashy” enough, and are often neglected for more complex traps. This tactic is always a mistake, if the opening presents itself you should attack.
2: Complex Traps
These are traps that exist past the 2 beat range, and are best avoided. The longer you spend trying to trap the opponent, the closer you get to DEFENDING instead of ATTACKING. It’s easy to get lost in trying to get that perfect lockup you saw in class. Grapplers have this same syndrome, the unwillingness to let go of a failing lock or choke when the situation warrants it. Understand, I don’t mean abandon trapping altogether. However, you should be able to flow from trap to trap, as long as your focus is on penetrating the opponent’s defenses to attack. Trying to hang on for dear life to the “perfect trap” or jointlock is tunnel vision, and will get you clobbered. You must commit to a decision in a fight, but once you do, don’t commit to it so much that you lose the fluidity of negotiation if you have to change or even abandon things midway through. You may have formed a brilliant strategy, but don’t be so in love with it that you can’t bring yourself to alter it if the need arises. Fluidity is just as much mental as it is physical.
Trapping uses four methods for clearing a path to attack:
1: Negate the opponent’s attack
2: Arrest the opponent’s technique
3: Thread the opponent’s barrier
4: Deceive the opponent’s mind
1: Negate the opponent’s attack
This instance isn’t to say “Block the opponent’s attack”, the only requirement is to avoid being hit.
2: Arrest the opponent’s technique
An arrest is when the opponent’s arms, legs or both are trapped but his body momentum continues forward.
3: Thread the opponent’s barrier
A barrier is when the opponent has both hands up in a guard position and his arms provide a physical obstacle between you and him. Threading is the ability to insert a single arm in between your opponent’s to disrupt his defenses. This maneuver can also be done with the legs and feet.
4: Deceive the opponent’s mind
Trapping is deception as much as anything else. By virtue of good technique in trapping your opponent will be confused and tricked into committing to an unrecoverable mistake, which you can capitalize on.
After closing with an opponent trapping is a method to maintain an uncomfortable proximity to him, which can inspire a smaller version of the fear-reflex fight or flight syndrome. People who are in stressful situations tend to think in straight lines, the less skilled they are at combat-stress multi-tasking, the more likely they are to allow instinct and gut reaction to take control of their motor functions. If you prolong the trapping stage and simply control your opponent without ending the fight, you will often see his complex problem solving ability diminish, and can cause him to miss a counter or escape that is right in front of him if the situation didn’t make him tunnel-visioned. It’s easy to identify when your opponent has reached this linear, one-dimensional way of thinking, first and foremost he will grab at your hands in an attempt to stop the flow. Secondly, you will see parts (or all) of his body tense and freeze up. This will also affect his footwork, and he will only move in straight lines, usually backward. At this point, he’s done for. His reflexive response to combat stress has taken over his ability to remain calm and fluid during violent exchanges at close range.
This is mostly advanced stuff, but I hope it was worthwhile for those just starting in FMA as well.
Read More...
------------------------------------
FMATalk.com Post Bot - FMA Feed
